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| Vitis riparia | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Vitales |
| Family: | Vitaceae |
| Genus: | Vitis |
| Species: | V. riparia |
| Binomial name | |
| Vitis riparia | |
Vitis riparia Michx, withcommon namesriverbank grape orfrost grape,[1] is a vine indigenous toNorth America. As a climbing or trailingvine, it is widely distributed across central and easternCanada and the central and northeastern parts of theUnited States, fromQuebec toTexas, and easternMontana toNova Scotia. There are reports of isolated populations in the northwestern USA, but these are probablynaturalized.[2] It is long-lived and capable of reaching into the uppercanopy of the tallesttrees. It produces dark fruit that are appealing to both birds and people, and has been used extensively in commercial viticulture asgraftedrootstock and inhybrid grape breeding programs.
Riverbank grape is a translation of the scientific nameVitis riparia;rīpārius means "of riverbanks" inLatin,[3] deriving fromrīpa "riverbank".
Maturevines have loose, fissuredbark, and may attain several inches in diameter. Leaves are alternate, often with oppositetendrils or inflorescences, coarsely toothed, 5–25 cm (2.0–9.8 in) long and 5–20 cm (2.0–7.9 in) broad, sometimes with sparse hairs on the underside ofveins.
V. riparia is functionallydioecious.[3] Theinflorescence is apanicle 4–15 cm (1.6–5.9 in) long and loose, and theflowers are small, fragrant, and white or greenish in color.V. riparia blooms sometime between April and June and in August or September[4] produces a small 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) blue-blackberry (grape) with a bloom, seeded, juicy, edible, vinous in flavor, lacking the "foxy" characteristics ofVitis labrusca, but usually quitesour andherbaceous.V. riparia has a wide range and may deviate considerably in detail from the above general description. White berries,perfect flowers, large clusters, large berries, and sweet fruit are among the known variations. However, some observers consider such variations as evidence of naturalhybridization with other species ofgrapes.
Vitis riparia has the largest geographical range of any of the North AmericanVitis species. It is present across nearly the entire eastern half of North America, from southernQuebec, toPiedmont, Alabama, and theCarolinas but absent of the coastal plains and the westerner parts of North America of theGreat Plains. Variants of the species have been observed as far north asRiding Mountain National Park inManitoba,Canada and as far west asMontana,Nebraska, andNorth Dakota.
In the wild, the vine thrives along exposed areas with good sun exposure and adequate soil moisture, such as riverbanks, forest clearings, fence lines and along road sides. The species has adapted to a variety ofsoil chemistries.
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SomeV. riparia vines have been known to withstand temperatures as low as −57 °C (−71 °F).[5] The foliage is typically resistant tomildew andblack rot, and the roots resistant tophylloxera. The berries, however, are often sensitive to mildew and black rot if the vine is exposed to prolonged wet and humid conditions.
Perhaps the most significant agricultural usage ofV. riparia is as graftedrootstock forVitis vinifera. Important advantages of the use ofV. riparia (and hybrids between it and otherVitis species) include resistance tophylloxera and adaptation to variant soil types.
Due to the extensivecold hardiness and fungal disease resistance of this species, it has been used extensively ingrape breeding programs to transfer cold hardy and disease resistantgenes to domesticated grapes. The French-Americanhybrid grapes are notable examples of these attempts.V. riparia has been used extensively for over a hundred years to create hardy hybrids. ManyV. riparia hybrids are currently being used and investigated by plant breeders and in breeding programs such as those conducted by theUniversity of Minnesota's horticulture program in an effort to make a commercially viable wine grape that can survive the northern climate of theUpper Midwest. Examples of commercially important cultivars with significantV. Riparia ancestry includeBaco noir,Marechal Foch,Triomphe d'Alsace andFrontenac.
WhileV. riparia shares many important characteristics with its cousin,Vitis vinifera, the small size of the berry (making it prone to predation by birds), the high acidity of its fruit (often up to 5%titratable acidity), the intense pigment of its juice, and the presence ofherbaceous aromas in wine produced from it have made it unusable on its own for commercial viticulture.
These grapes are sometimes used to make flavorful homemadejellies,jams, andwine.[6]
